At first glance, the Luca Del Toro is a very picturesque cigar. There are some slight veins but with nearly invisible seams and a bold looking wrapper it creates a perfect image. A golden bull, after the cigar’s namesake, stands out on the band’s stark white field while its block gold lettering reminds me of the styles adorning old time Western movie posters. The full length of this cigar is firm and solid without much give and the foot exudes a distinct caramel scent, which is extremely pleasant.

After cutting the head and taking a pre-light draw, I find the draw to be lighter than expected but nothing to be concerned about. It reveals a slight note of spice and earthy undertone. After lighting the smoke the caramel scent comes through yet the pre-light spice lingers on the tongue thus making a perfectly blended flavor combination. Exhaling through the nose has the unique effect of enhancing the caramel and subduing the spice. Typically the spice is accentuated by doing this so I find this to be an interesting reversal.

The aforementioned appearance and perceived construction carries over into the smoke itself. A very even burn releases billowing white smoke and leaves behind a tight gray ash. After a short while the caramel and spice are accompanied by a coffee tone just short of espresso, similar to a full city roast. Combined, the flavors are very bold but evenly round each other out. The spice, which I actually believe to be nutmeg based on its prominent smell, lends substance to the sweetness. Towards the second third the burn takes on a distinct wave due to one of the aforementioned veins. Rotating the cigar causes the burn to eventually right itself, however.

Through the second third there is not much change in the flavor with the exception of one awkward moment where the taste dropped off almost completely and seemed rather empty. I let it mellow for a short while and the flavors returned again so it may have just gotten slightly too hot or hit a loose spot. Approaching the final third I notice that my neighbor, who is an avid rabbit lover, is out in the yard attempting to train his fairly new pet on the finer points of boundaries. The neighbor’s method consists of chasing the mischievous bunny through the neighboring field with a fishing net attempting to corral it. Chuckling to myself I turn my focus back to the cigar.

Just into the start of the last third a strawberry fruit flavor comes out to join the others. The temperature begins to cool down around this point so I brew a quick cup of Lady Earl Gray tea to take the edge off. This pairing proves perfect and finishes out the already good smoke delightfully.

Overall this cigar is solid in all regards. I enjoyed the blend of flavors, with the one exception mentioned earlier on and it managed to stay burning strong. To provide more depth to this review, I had one cigar leftover and gave it to my father for his input as well. He was impressed with the smoke as a whole but the burn and construction really stood out to him. To date this is the only cigar I have had from Los Nietos but as they have managed to turn out a very fine product I will be looking for additional lines to try in the future.

Appearance : Construction : Flavor : Value : Overall Rating : (4.25)

This post was written by Joe K. Click here for his latest articles and more information.